TWO FACES OF THE PROCESS: DISARMAMENT, YES. DEMOCRATIZATION, NOT YET
Two years into the PKK’s disarmament process, fears of stalling have resurfaced. DEM Party Co-Chair Tuncer Bakırhan put it plainly: “The pace of the process has slowed.”
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EX-AMBASSADOR RETURNS TO AKP
Bursa lawmaker Cemalettin Kani Torun, who left the Yeni Yol Party group of conservative opposition lawmakers in August soon after the Gelecek Party dissolved itself, joined the AKP and will be an adviser to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on the Terror-Free Turkey process and on Africa policy.
PEACE PROCESS STALLS AGAIN
The parliament has not established a commission to monitor progress on the surrender of weapons and personnel by the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, and Kurdish groups are complaining the process is stalled.
FOUR PKK CAMPS VACATED, ALL EYES ON YEAR’S LAST SECURITY COUNCIL
Ankara confirmed the evacuation of four Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) camps, possibly clearing the way for the second phase of the “Terror-Free Turkey” process.
KURDISH GROUPS INTENSIFY PRESSURE ON GOVERNMENT TO START THE RETURN PROCESS
The pro-Kurdish DEM Party has called for the peace process law to be freed from the “tutelage” of the National Security Council (MGK), as a delayed council decision holds up implementation.
OCTOBER HOPES FADE AS MGK STAYS SILENT ON PKK DISARMAMENT
Expectations that the Framework Law on the Terror-Free Turkey process would take effect in October have shifted to December.
STEPS ON DISARMAMENT AND ÖCALAN’S STATUS ARE EXPECTED
With the start of the new legislative year on Oct. 1, the main agenda will be the ongoing peace process concerning the Kurdish issue, which faces gridlock about the timing of demands over disarmament, legal guarantees, and the official status of jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan.
ÖCALAN'S STATUS CLARIFIED ON THE PEACE PROCESS BY PRESIDENTIAL ADVISOR
Uçum said the role assigned to Öcalan should not be interpreted differently, and that the residence built for him on İmralı Island is an additional unit attached to the prison, after the reactions on the construction of a villa announced by MHP Chair Devlet Bahçeli.
KURDISH POLITICS SET TO RESTRUCTURE IN 'TERROR-FREE TURKEY' PROCESS
Kurdish politics is preparing for a major structural overhaul as Turkey is expected to move forward with its peace initiative, referred to by the government as the 'Terror-Free Turkey' process.
GOVERNMENT, DEM PARTY DIVERGE ON HOW FAST PEACE PROCESS SHOULD MOVE
The government and DEM Party disagree over how fast Turkey's Kurdish peace process should move, with AKP officials predicting the effort will extend into the new year while DEM Party, which will hold its congress Sept. 6, is pushing for results within a shorter timeline.
URGENT EXPROPRIATION ORDER FOR MASSIVE RARE EARTH DEPOSITS
The government has ordered the urgent expropriation of nearly 2.6 million square meters of land in the central province of Eskişehir to accelerate mining and build processing facilities for rare earth elements.
PEACE PROCESS MOVES FORWARD, BUT FEARS OF SABOTAGE GROW
With the framework law in force and mechanisms in place to allow the return of PKK militants, the peace process has moved into a new phase — not without controversy.